


A Quiet Hope

by DefaltManifesto



Series: 30 Day Song Lyric Challenge [25]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death Fix It, First Kiss, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-20 15:05:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13149195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefaltManifesto/pseuds/DefaltManifesto
Summary: Ephraim's not giving up on Lyon, even when everybody else does.





	A Quiet Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Am Calling Your Lightning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12977859) by [DefaltManifesto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefaltManifesto/pseuds/DefaltManifesto). 



> Hey so this is basically Ephraim's POV of my earlier fic in this challenge "I Am Calling Your Lightning" because I really thought today's lyric fit that idea and Ephraim's determination to help and save his friend/lover. 
> 
> Today's fic is based on the following lyric from The Call by Regina Spektor: 
> 
> "It started out as a feeling/which then grew into a quiet hope/which then turned into a quiet thought/which then turned into a quiet world"

"Ephraim I must warn against this,” Seth says.

“And I, being the King, get to ignore you,” Ephraim says as he straps his lance on his back and then shoulders his pack. “Besides, Eirika agreed to stay here so if I die, Renais will be just fine.”

“Having a twin to rule the throne doesn’t mean you should take risks with your own life,” Seth says.

Ephraim smiles. “You heard what Myrrh said. Eirika and I couldn’t live with ourselves if we didn’t at least try to save Lyon. As long as there’s a chance he’s still alive, I’ll keep fighting.”

“Then at least take me with you.”

“Seth.” Ephraim grabs his shoulders, squeezing down. “I’ll be just fine. I’ll have Myrrh and Kyle with me.”

“I’d feel better if you took a whole platoon,” Seth says, averting his eyes.

“Best not to let Grado in on the fact that we’re trying to locate their crown Prince,” Ephraim says. “Keep Eirika safe.”

"Of course."

 

-.-

           

“Milord!”

Ephraim rolls onto his front and coughs, wincing when he sees blood on the ground. It’d been two weeks since they’d reached the Lagdou Ruins where Myrrh promised they could find those the Demon King had possessed and they were still no closer to reaching the top of the summit. At least, that’s how it feels. Truth be told, they’re about halfway there but the constant fighting is starting to wear on them all.

“I’m fine,” Ephraim says as Kyle helps him to his feet.

A roar makes the ground shake and Ephraim leans on his lance as he watches Myrrh eradicated the last of their enemies with one sweeping paw. Her dragon form shimmers and disappears, leaving a panting girl on her hands and knees, surrounded on all side by corpses twice dead. Ephraim hobbles towards her, ignoring the pain in his chest.

“Brother, you’re hurt,” she says, pushing herself onto her feet.

“Yes, perhaps I underestimated the difficulty of our enemies,” he says.

Kyle makes a noise that could be a cough or a derisive snort but Ephraim ignores it.

"It is okay, Brother,” Myrrh says. She holds out her hand, her shining dragon-stone flaring with light as she does so. “Saleh found me another one of these. I will use it when you can no longer fight so that we can find your Prince. I want to help you accomplish this.”

Ephraim folds her hand closed. “Thank you, Myrrh, but that stone must have been incredibly difficult to find and I’d rather you save it for when you need to protect yourself, not me or Kyle. If we must, we’ll retreat and resume our search for Lyon with more men.”

Myrrh nods. “I understand.”

 

-.-

 

Ephraim bites back a cry of pain as Kyle wraps his ribs that night. Kyle hears his breath hitch nonetheless and keeps his touches gentle as he finishes tending to Ephraim’s wounds now that they’ve stopped for the night.

“Why you risk this sort of injury for a man who nearly killed you I will never understand,” Kyle says.

“Lyon is closer than family,” Ephraim says, hanging his head between his knees. “The Demon King took advantage of his desire to help and possessed him. The death of my father and those in our country was no fault of his, not truly, and hoisting the blame on him does no one favors.”

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but a man who would resort to such dark arts to save his kingdom isn’t a man worth such a high regard,” Kyle says. He ties off the bandage and tears the loose ends with his knife.

“I don’t expect you or anyone else other than Eirika to understand,” Ephraim says. “He didn’t let anyone other than us close enough to see the real him, and if you saw that…Kyle, there’s no man you’d be prouder serving than him. He’d give anything for his country.”

"He gave things that were not his to give,” Kyle says, moving around to face Ephraim.

“Maybe so,” Ephraim says with a nod. “But I won’t leave him stuck in this hell, not if there’s a chance I can free him and bring him home to the people that love him. I wouldn’t have brought you with me if I didn’t trust you Kyle, but if you feel you cannot stay due to your distaste for Lyon, then I understand. I can continue this journey with Myrrh.”

Kyle shakes his head. “Where you go, I go, Milord. Perhaps, if we save him, I’ll understand why it is you’re willing to go so far for him.”

 

-.-

 

Ephraim dreams of his first kiss. Lyon had pressed their lips together in a rush and then flinched back as if he’d expected to be rebuked. Ephraim had grabbed him by his cloak and pressed their lips together again before sliding his hands up to cradle Lyon’s face gently in his own hands. That had been just before their departure home. A month later, Grado would declare war on Renais.

Perhaps that was why in many ways, Ephraim felt Lyon’s betrayal even more than Eirika did. It wasn’t just the betrayal of a friend, but the betrayal of a first love. Of an only love. There were so many things lost by the Demon King’s possession, not just lives and countries but innocence too. He wanted to know what could be if he and Lyon could start over. That desire was selfish, he knew that.

But more than his own selfish desire was a desire to see what Lyon could be given the chance to stand on his own feet instead of relying on the power of a god, or a father, or a mentor. The world would be better with Lyon in it. Ephraim was convinced of that. Now he just had to find the damn mage.

 

-.-

 

The summit of the Lagdou Ruins is nothing but zombie Dracos, rain, blood, and filth. Kyle swears as lightning flashes overhead.

“Milord, we can’t continue,” Kyle says even as he readies his axe from astride his mount.

Thunder makes the ground shake and it’s followed immediately with another flash of lightning and there, across the cracked marble, Ephraim sees it. Chained to the wall, a ghostly figure that shimmers in and out of existence but it is unmistakably the man he came this far to save and he’ll be damned if he stops now when Lyon is so close. What sort of man would he be to abandon his friend now?

“We continue,” Myrrh says. “I will deal with the Dracos. You deal with rescuing Lyon.”

“My lady, you cannot fight all of these beasts alone,” Kyle says.

Myrrh turns to face him. “Then help me, or don’t. I am here to bring home Ephraim’s best friend and I will stop at nothing to make his dream come true. If you are not willing to do the same, you may wait for us at the bottom of the ruins.”

“I will help you fight,” Kyle says, not about to be outdone.

Ephraim’s not sure what he did to deserve such loyal friends, but he’s glad to have them at his side.

 

-.-

 

Ephraim has to carry Lyon down. After returning to his physical form and exchanging a few words, he’d fainted in Ephraim’s arms and hadn’t stirred since.

"It’s okay,” Myrrh says. “I can feel his soul. He just needs to rest.”

“At least let me carry him,” Kyle says.

Ephraim shakes his head and readjusts Lyon on his back. “No. I told him that I’ve got him and I do.”

Truth be told, he was afraid that if he let go now, he’d lose Lyon forever. Kyle didn’t object further.

           


End file.
